UN’s Ban Defends Lack of Sri Lanka Ceasefire Call, Misunderstands His Powers and Duties, Council President Says
[Inner City Press] As bloodshed and civilian casualties mount in Sri Lanka, at the UN in New York Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was asked by Inner City Press why, unlike in Gaza, the Congo and elsewhere, he has not called for a ceasefire in Sri Lanka. Mr. Ban responded at some length, reading from notes. In…
Read MoreS Lanka civilian attacks denied
[BBC] The Sri Lankan government and Tamil Tiger rebels have both denied accusations of inflicting civilian casualties in the north-east. The army said it was not responsible for the shelling of a makeshift hospital which the Red Cross (ICRC) said had killed 16 people on Monday. The Tamil Tigers denied shooting dead 19 fleeing civilians.…
Read MoreRed Cross denies stirring panic in Sri Lanka
[AFP] The Red Cross on Wednesday rejected charges it was trying to stir panic over the plight of Sri Lankan civilians trapped in fighting between soldiers and Tamil rebels in a row over body bag orders placed by the group. The Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross said it had placed orders for 2,500…
Read MoreTamil diaspora united in anger
[BBC] The bloody progress of the conflict in Sri Lanka has united many diaspora Tamils across the political spectrum. The Sri Lankan military has made major gains in its attempt to defeat Tamil Tiger rebels (LTTE) fighting for a separate homeland. But Tamils around the world have protested in their thousands about the fate of…
Read MoreSri Lanka: 16 patients killed in hospital shelling
[AP] At least 16 patients being treated at a makeshift hospital in the northern Sri Lankan war zone were killed by shelling, the Red Cross said Tuesday, as the military accused rebel fighters of killing 19 other civilians fleeing the area. The United Nations, meanwhile, said it was outraged by the “unnecessary” deaths of hundreds of…
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